Glissando
by Meta Lise
Summary: [Chapter 4 up!] The number one J-Pop band, THTC, is touring in America. Tamahome's cousin, Sakura (who has had a crush on Tasuki since she was six), is dragged along as their seamstress. This is her story. TasukiOC
1. Disclaimer

Glissando Disclaimer 

Fushigi Yuugi does not belong to me; it belongs to the ever-wonderful Yuu Watase.  However this story does belong to me.  I am very proud of this idea, so please don't steal it.  ^^


	2. Introduction

Glissando Introduction 

The needle poked through the synthetic leather fabric.  Sakura had told the designer not to make Tasuki's pants too tight.  With the way Tasuki moved on stage, she knew she would be mending them sooner or later.  Boy, with the way he moved on stage, she would certainly be mending them sooner.

Sakura Tawainai was the seamstress for the number one J-pop band, THTC.  Sakura had long black hair and large violet eyes framed by long, dark lashes.  At nineteen years old, she was fairly inexperienced in the music industry.  She really didn't need to know since she was "just the seamstress."  Well, that's how her cousin, Tamahome, put it.

Tamahome was in THTC.  He was the "teen heartthrob."  Hotohori was the "romantic one."  Tasuki was the "sexy one" (Sakura: For obvious reasons!!).  Chichiri was the "cute one."

"Shimatta!" Sakura cursed as she stuffed her finger in her mouth.  "Stupid needle."  She took a thimble out of her sewing basket and placed it on her injured finger.

"Almost done there?" Tasuki's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Um…"  She was flustered.  "Yeah…um…I just have to finish sewing this area."  She motioned rather generally to the crotch.  "Then they'll be as good as new for the show tonight.  I wish Nuriko wouldn't make your pants so…"  She thought for the appropriate word, but couldn't find it.  "Tight," she finished, blushing.

"What?  Don't you like 'em tight?" he said smoothly, stepping closer to her.

"It sure would make my job easier."  She dug back into the work, trying futilely to hide the heat emanating from her face.

Tamahome's head popped in the room.  "Hey!  Sakki!"

"Not to be confused with sake," Tasuki finished.  They both laughed at their on-going joke.

"Anyway," Tamahome began again.  "All of us are going to lunch and a movie.  Wanna come?"

Sure.  Of course she wanted to go.  "I can't.  I have a million things to do around here."  She had to make excuses.  That's just what she did.

"Oh, come on, Sakki," Tasuki mock begged.

She couldn't turn down Tasuki.  She just couldn't; there was no way.  She sighed.  "Alright.  I'll go.  Under one condition."  She paused as she glared at both men.  "That I won't be confused for a rabid fangirl and dragged away when you aren't looking."

Both men laughed as they recalled the incident where they had to bail Sakura out of jail for "stalking."  Those were the scariest moments of her life.  They probably wouldn't have noticed, anyway, if it hadn't been for Chiriko who had noticed her go missing.  When they went to the police to see if they had seen her, the police asked if she was the girl they were missing.

"I'm never going to forgive you for that," she said.

"And we're never going to stop laughing at it," Tamahome reminded her.

^-^

Sakura grasped the back of Nuriko's shirt as they shuffled through the mob of people on the street.  They hadn't even seen any fangirls yet.  Maybe they weren't as popular in the States, which they were currently touring.

"Is New York really this crowded?" Hotohori asked.  "They are packed together like commoners."  The former emperor crinkled his nose.

The seven men Sakura worked with always said that they were some sort of celestial warriors many centuries ago who were sworn to protect Tamahome's girlfriend, Miaka.  Miaka, apparently, was some sort of priestess who came from another world to summon forth a god to save the world.  Sakura, she assumed, was not supposed to know really.  They always spoke in hushed voices about the matter, but, nonetheless, she knew.  It was quite silly; they had even gotten Miaka in on the story.

"They are commoners, sire," Chiriko said.  "Actually, New York is quite similar to Tokyo, although less densely populated."  The seventeen-year-old co-manager did most of the finances as well as the majority of the managing responsibilities.  Tamahome was the other co-manager, but he didn't do much besides sing.

Sakura had always felt badly for Chiriko.  He seemed to be almost…a loner since she met him three years ago.  He was so smart that it separated him from others his age.  The other six seishi—as well as many others—treated him like a child.  Frankly, he was still a child.  At least he was in body, but he was more mature than even Mitsukake and Chichiri.

^-^

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"We haven't figured out what to eat yet.  That's what we mean," Tasuki answered.

"That's about it," Tamahome said, nodding.

"Why didn't you check to see what was here before we left?"  Sakura threw her arms above her head.  "We're gonna starve!"

"We aren't going to starve, onee-san," Chiriko said calmly.  "One can live for weeks without food."

"Not only are we going to starve," Nuriko said, looking at his watch.  "We're going to miss the movie, too."

"What!" she cried. "And I wanted to see it, too."

"Don't worry, no da," Chichiri said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  "It plays at 3:00.  We should be able to see that showing."

All the same, Sakura slumped into the nearest park bench and sighed.  "I'm hungry," she said quietly.  She blushed a little as Tasuki sat next to her.  The bench wasn't exactly massive.

"What about that diner?" Mitsukake said, pointing behind the bench.

Sakura and Tasuki looked over their shoulders and saw a typical fifties-style diner across the park.

Sakura grinned.  Diner food had to be the best in the whole world.

^-^

Hotohori needed the most coaxing, as he refused to enter such a common place.  Chiriko came to the rescue, though.  He reminded Hotohori that he could be spotted by fangirls, if he remained outside.  Hotohori, remembering what had happened to his hair last fangirl attack, was more than willing to eat at the diner.

Sakura sat at a booth with Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko.  THTC sat together, as per the norm.

After the waiter took the orders, the THTC table spoke, huddled, in whispers while the other group, mainly Nuriko, talked animatedly.

Sakura laughed when Nuriko smacked Mitsukake while trying to show the size of the mob of fangirls where Hotohori's hair was destroyed and he had to wear a wig for weeks.  Chiriko smiled fondly at the memory and Mitsukake nursed his chin and cheek, but smiled slightly nonetheless.

Sakura told the table the "Classified" Tamahome tale about when he was little.  She never would have told, but he told everyone her "Classified" stories; it was only right to repay him.  But she was kind enough not to tell Tasuki, Tamahome's biggest fighting rival.  She didn't want him to be that embarrassed.

There was the time where Tamahome tried to sell his siblings and Sakura to the circus and the one where he had used Chuei as a ball.  She couldn't stop laughing when she told the story about Tamahome going to Fort Knox when they had visited America as children.  He wanted to know if he could take home some gold as a souvenir.  After that they had gone to the mint and then the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where they print bills).  He had fainted inside the building and had to carry him out; all the money had been too much for him.

She had the whole table laughing hysterically, even Mitsukake.

"Hey!  Oni—"  Sakura stopped dead as she felt lips on hers.  Her eyes grew wide and she pushed it away.  Tasuki stood there with a slight smirk on his face.  Her face burned, especially her lips.

The whole group was in hysterics except for Sakura, who was furious and embarrassed, Tasuki, who only smirked, and Chiriko, who looked worried.  Sakura planned to kill everyone who laughed, except Mitsukake who she knew was still laughing about Tamahome.

Tasuki strolled back to his table and flopped into his seat.  Tamahome and Chichiri threw down some bills each.  Hotohori added some to the pile as well.

"Well," Sakura said to her table.  "It was nice to invite me to lunch, but I'm afraid I have too much work to do to go see the movie."  She stood up.  "I'll see you whenever you get back, I suppose."  She walked calmly out of the diner.

"Man, I was sure she was gonna slap you or something," Tamahome said, staring longingly at the bills piled in front of Tasuki.

"Daa… I thought she would, too."

Hotohori flipped some hair over his shoulder.  "I was certain she would reciprocate."

Tasuki gave a toothy grin.  "It turned out the best fer me, I think."

Chiriko stood up.  He glared as ferociously as he could at THTC.  "That was a really nasty thing to do to her."  And he ran after her.


	3. Counterpoint

Glissando Counterpoint 

Sakura's strides became longer and her feet pushed harder off the pavement as she left the diner.

The day had begun cloudy, and now those clouds began to let droplets of water fall to the ground.  It started slowly, timidly, but soon gained speed and confidence.  The wind blew, gusts swaying the trees.  There was no show of thunder and lightning, but the sky promised a spectacular display later on. 

But none of this mattered to Sakura.

^-^

"Yeah, guys," Nuriko piped in after Chiriko rushed after Sakura; his laughter had mostly subsided.  "That was pretty wrong.  You don't go playing around with a girl's feelings," he preached.  Mitsukake nodded, his laughter had completely stopped and he reverted to his normal state.

"Oh, c'mon," Tasuki finally spoke up.  "It was jest some mindless fun.  We didn't hert 'er."

"You are the mindless one!"  Nuriko hit him over the head, sending him to the floor.  "Why would she have left?"

"She said she had work ta do."

"DOLT!"

"She only used that as an excuse to leave," Mitsukake explained quietly.  "She felt abandoned because everyone, except, of course, Chiriko and me, was laughing at her.  As much of a mindless bet it was to you, it hurt her that much more."

^-^

She roamed the city streets, not looking where she was going, not caring anyway.  Her hands had somehow found the pockets of her windbreaker, warming them.  Her fingers brushed against something; she pushed the gum wrapper from her pocket.  She grabbed the packet of gum and shoved a piece in her mouth, tossing the wrapper carelessly aside.

She was proud of herself, though.  The tears that wanted—perhaps needed—to come, didn't.  As of yet, she had managed to keep them at bay.

^-^

Chiriko ran as fast as he could.  He was not as fit for this type of activity as his friends were; he wasn't built for it.

Nonetheless, he had kept Sakura in his sight.  She wasn't running—that made it much easier—but she was walking faster than her normal speed, which was rather rapid.

"Sakura-san!  Please wait!" he called out desperately.

^-^

"You have to go and find her, Tasuki no baka," Nuriko told him.

"Chiriko already went after 'er.  'Sides, she's probably already headin' back ta the hotel."

"She's in a strange place.  She'll get lost."

"Why's it suddenly my job ta be 'er babysitter?!"

"You, Tasuki no baka, caused this whole mess.  I hope you realize that."

"She's Tama's cousin, not mine.  I'm not the one that dragged 'er along."

"If you knew my aunt," Tamahome cut in, "you'd take her, too."

"Make 'im go after her, if yer so concerned.  Or, better yet, go an' get 'er yerself."

"You have to apologize to her."

"Yer being an ass."

"_You're_ being an ass."

^-^

"Please wait!"

Sakura turned around.  Chiriko was panting, his hands on his knees in an attempt to catch his breath.

"Doukun-chan!"  She ran back to him.  "You shouldn't have come after me!"

"I'm fine, really."

"But, your asthma…  Are you sure?"

"No harm done, Sakura nee-san."  He smiled slightly to reassure her.  "But, are _you_ okay?"

"What do you mean?"  She tried to sound as confused as she could.  They began walking to a nearby bench.

"You know."  He looked uncomfortably at the ground.  "About what Tasuki-san did?"

"Oh, that."  She plopped onto the bench.  "Why?  Would it have hurt me?  His fangs can't be _that_ sharp," she added with a chuckle.

Chiriko sat next to her, his hands in his lap and his head down.  "Nee-san, remember when we first met?"

"Of course.  How couldn't I?"

"Well, it was the year my mother died," he recalled.

"I remember."

"And you said…"  He looked into her eyes.  "You said that it was…okay to cry."

This took Sakura completely by surprise.  It shattered whatever barrier had held the feelings she had pent up within the last fifteen minutes.

"Doukun-chan…"  That was when the tears came.

The tears mixed easily with the rain that continued to fall heavily.  Sakura threw herself into Chiriko's arms.

"It was so strange.  I mean, I…  I don't even know."  Chiriko hugged her and began stroking her increasingly wet hair.  Sakura continued, "I liked it, I guess…  I was…surprised.  And embarrassed.  How could they do that?  It's not—"  She sniffled and coughed.  "It's not fair."  She wiped the mucus running down her nose.  "I really like Genrou-san."

"You are in love with Tasuki-san?"  Chiriko asked.  He was shocked at this revelation; he hadn't figured this out.

"I suppose you could put it that way," she smiled.  "But I've never kissed anyone, besides my family.  It hurts that my first kiss was—"  Fresh tears came.  "My _first kiss_ was a _bet_!  My very first.  That Genrou-san would even consider a bet like that…  I can't believe it."

"Don't worry.  Everything will be okay."

She smiled through her tears.  "This sure is familiar.  It's just like the memory."

"Except I was you and you were me."

"Yeah…"

^-^

"Would you _DROP_ it already!"

"Not until you go find her, I won't."

"_Fine_!  But _only_ ta get you off my back!"  Tasuki shoved Nuriko aside and sulked all the way to the door and outside into the downpour.

Nuriko smiled after him.  "Go get her."

^-^

Author's Note:  I'm such a slacker!  I'll try to post as often as I can.  There are some complications.  For the next week I will be out of town.  Two weeks after that I'm away for another week.  On top of all that I have driving classes:  the closest thing to Hell on Earth.  That's only the first obstacle.  The next is the fact that I happen to have three fics going at once.  You can go check them out; they're all Fushigi Yuugi ones.  Next one I have to update is AGF.  *sigh*  I have no idea what to do next in it.  It will have to wait until I get back, I'm afraid.

Thanks for reading!

If you have the time, please critique my work.  It will be greatly appreciated.


	4. Exposition

Glissando Exposition 

"Oh, FUCK this!" Tasuki cursed loudly.  He stepped back in the diner only to be met with Nuriko's angry face.

"Why are you coming back so soon, Tasuki no baka?" Nuriko asked, for it had been merely seconds since Tasuki had stepped out.

"But—"

"You should hope that I don't see you without Sakura-chan being safe and sound, otherwise…"  He cracked his knuckles.

"But, Nuri-kun!" Tasuki whined.  "Look!"  He pointed outside.  The sky had darkened dramatically and the rain was meeting the ground in sheets.  "It's fucking raining."

Nuriko nodded.  "It is," he agreed.

"I can' go out when it's like that!"

"Sakura-chan shouldn't be outside in this weather."  Nuriko's arms were folded across his chest.

Tasuki knew he wouldn't give in and sighed.  "Fuck you."  And he sulked out into the rain.

Nuriko called after him, "If she catches a cold, you'll regret it!"

"Not much point in a movie, no da."

"We should retire to the hotel and await Sakura's return."

"I wouldn't mind an afternoon of sleeping," Tamahome agreed with a grin, just happy he didn't have the responsibility of searching for his younger cousin.

^-^

Chiriko held his coat over both their heads as he and Sakura hurried through the downpour.

"I'm getting wet," Sakura muttered.

Chiriko adjusted the coat to cover her more.  "I'm sorry, Sakura-san."

She grinned.  "Don't worry.  A little rain couldn't hurt."

"I'm glad that you feel better, nee-san."

She glanced over at him.  "You make it sound as if I was sick, or something.  It was just a passing thing.  Nothing to be worried about."

_She is hiding her feelings again_, Chiriko noted.  "But you said you loved Tasuki-san," he objected.

She laughed ruefully.  "How am I supposed to know what love is?  I'm nineteen, I've never dated, my first kiss was the result of a bet, and the only guys I really know are you guys.  How could I possibly realize what love is like this?"

^-^

"Stupid, stupid, stupid girl," Tasuki cursed as he wandered in the rain.  "Why'd she have ta go an' get all emotional and shit?"  He kicked at a puddle, causing water to soak the bottom of his jeans.  "Stupid, stupid, stupid girl."

^-^

"Maybe you should leave THTC, if that would make you happier?" Chiriko suggested sadly.  He never wanted her to leave.  She was the only one who could really understand him.

Sakura let out a true laugh.  "What would I possibly do?  You guys are the truest family I have!  Besides, I never finished high school, so what would I do?  Get a job?  Support myself?  I don't think so.  I could never go back home, really.  Do you even know why I joined the THTC group in the first place?"

Chiriko shook his head.

"It was because my stepmother couldn't stand the sight of me anymore and she made Kishuku take me after my father died."

He gasped.

"She said that I reminded her too much of Daddy's playboy days.  He was such a womanizer."  She shook her head with a grim smile.  "I am a product of a one night stand; I am a love child."

"How did you find out?" he sputtered.

"My mother contacted my father.  She demanded that he support me."

"Couldn't she support you herself?" he cut in.

"No.  She was a whore."

"Oh."

"It's funny, though."

Chiriko looked down at her.

"Only you, my stepmother, my father (may he find many beautiful women in heaven), and I know."

"Tamahome-san doesn't know?!"

"My stepmother wanted to keep my father's womanizing a secret.  As soon as she found out about me, she made Daddy get her pregnant, so no one would be the wiser."

"What happened to that child?" he asked quietly.

"Dead.  It was born on the same day I was.  But it was two months premature.  It didn't survive for a half hour.  My stepmother told the family that we were twins, but the younger one had had complications, and didn't make it.  Every last one of them bought it."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san," Chiriko said quietly.

"Stop apologizing, Doukun-chan!"  She laughed.  "Let's get back to the hotel.  I'm getting cold!"

^-^

Tasuki stopped.  There she was.  With Chiriko.  He sighed, relieved.

Chiriko held his coat over both their heads as they hurried through the downpour.  And…they were laughing.

Now Tasuki was confused.  He was sure that she would be bawling about what a bastard he was.  Or at least sulking.

Now he was angry.

"Where the FUCK have you been?!" he shouted at them.

The duo turned with somewhat shocked looks on their faces.  Chiriko scowled once he realized whom they had met.

"I've been searchin' all over the fucking city lookin' fer ya."  A lie, he knew.  "What the fuckin' hell have you been doin'!"

Chiriko frowned.  "You did not seem to care as much about Sakura-san's well being at the diner when you played your foolish joke on her."

"Well," he explained, "I figgered she'd be cryin' over me since I'm such a wonderful, handsome, amazin' kinda guy."

Sakura's hands clenched momentarily, then she walked up to Tasuki and looked him in the eye.  "I always knew you were a bit arrogant, but to think that you would have that much of an affect on me?  You are more than a bit arrogant."  She jabbed her finger at his chest.  "I'm not one of those crazy fangirls that you're so used to dealing with."  She turned on her heel and started to drag Chiriko away.

"So that means I have some affect on you," he hinted.

She swung back around, nearly causing Chiriko to topple to the ground.  "Why you insufferable…"  Her face was turning crimson.

"Yer blushin'…"  Tasuki pointed out, grinning triumphantly.

She huffed and stalked back toward the hotel.

"I have ta go that way, too, ya know."

Sakura sneezed.

"OH FUCK!"

^-^

"…the bastard…"  Sakura muttered all the way back to the hotel.  "…pulling a prank on me one minute…flirting the next…bastard…"

Despite Chiriko's efforts to keep Sakura and himself dry, both arrived soaked and sneezing.

Nuriko, who had been waiting in the lobby reading some women's fashion magazine, rushed over.  "You guys are soaked!  What happened?"  Stating the obvious, then asking the obvious.  It was one of Nuriko's customs.

"It's raining, Ryuuen-san," Sakura mumbled.  She sneezed.

"Let's get you two up to your rooms and out of these wet things."  Nuriko _was_ the resident mother hen after all.

Chiriko's room that he shared with Mitsukake was the first stop.  Mitsukake immediately started caring for Chiriko.  He assured them that Chiriko would be fine after he changed out of his wet clothing.

Nuriko pushed Sakura down the hall to the room that they shared.

Sakura stumbled into the room.  Though it was only mid-afternoon the drowsiness associated with illness proved heavy in her eyes.

Nuriko sat her on the edge of her bed while he dug in her suitcase for nightclothes.  After some searching, he pulled out her pale yellow nightshirt.

"Put this on," he instructed as he pushed her into the bathroom.

Sakura slowly did as she was told.

She shuffled out of the bathroom to find Nuriko gone.  Her bed was turned down, so she did the only logical thing she could think of:  She fell asleep.

^-^

Tasuki wandered around New York City.  He handled the rain well, and he would have retreated to the hotel, if it weren't for Nuriko.

He knew his senior always kept his promises; this was one promise Tasuki wanted to postpone the fulfillment of.

A flash of a familiar violet braid caught his eye.  "…Shit…"

The violet braid must have noticed the fiery tangle:  The violet braid swerved between the crowd.

"…Oh, fuck…"

^-^

As soon as the bathroom door closed, Nuriko bolted out of the room in search of the bastard who made her two young friends sick.

First he checked the room that Tasuki shared with Chichiri.

Chichiri opened the door.  There was a book in his hand with his index finger marking the place he stopped reading.

"Are Sakura and Chiriko all right, no da?" he asked worriedly.

"They both have colds.  Mitsukake is taking care of Chiriko and Sakura is probably sleeping now."

Chichiri smiled.  "I'm glad they're okay."

Nuriko frowned.  "Tasuki no baka hasn't come back yet."

He put his forehead in his free palm.  "He _is_ a baka."  He shook his head.  "Well, he hasn't been here, so you'd better go look for him."

Then Nuriko checked to see if Tasuki was hiding out in Hotohori and Tamahome's room.

"Nope," Tamahome said.  "Hasn't been here."  He grinned.  "Probably risking the rain."

^-^

After slamming Tamahome into the floor and tiptoeing into his room for a suitcase filled with the "supplies" he would need for the punishment, Nuriko hurried outside to search for Tasuki.

Surprisingly, it didn't take as long as he thought it would to find the bandit reincarnate.  His fiery hair was easy to spot down the street.

Nuriko's braid flung about wildly as he weaved, half sprinting, towards his victim.

Tasuki seemed to finally notice him flying in his direction as he stopped and looked rather frightened.

He stopped a foot away from the cause of the afternoon's hardships.  "Sakura and Chiriko have colds."

Tasuki took a step back.

"It's your fault."

Another step.

"I'm reasonable and considerate, so I won't beat you up for it.  Especially with the concert tonight."

Tasuki sighed, relieved.

"I've thought of something much worse."  Nuriko's face flipped from one showing calm anger to a grinning one with a vicious, evil, sadistic air.

Tasuki took two steps back.

"Come with me."  He dragged the frightened man back to the hotel and into the men's restroom.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt too much," could be heard from inside.

"This really ain't necessary ya know…  OW!!  What the FUCK!  SHIT!"

"Really, it isn't so bad."

"SHIT!!"

"This is only a mild punishment."

"I'd hate ta see one'a yer har—OW—sha ones.'

"Oh, this one will be much better."

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!"

"Really.  You are being _so_ difficult."

Some banging could be heard.

"Just stop moving, will you?"

"NOT UNTIL YOU PUT THAT FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT DOWN!"

"Now, now, Tasuki no baka.  If it fucked, I would be a much happier man."

^-^

Author's Note:  The next chapter will be much better.  *evil grin*  Trust me.  You'll find out what "supplies" Nuriko has, though I'm sure most of you guessed.

The count is:  Twelve "fucks" and seven "shits."


	5. Falsetto

Glissando Falsetto 

Sakura awoke to some sort of banging down the hall.  She yawned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Her eyes fell on the digital clock next to the bed.  She reached out and turned it to see the glowing numbers.

She released a small cry and scrambled out of bed.

"It's already five-thirty!"

She pulled on a pair of comfortable flannel pajama bottoms and her black "STAFF" T-shirt.

"I need to be there in a half hour!"

She rushed in the bathroom and brushed her teeth, subtly noticing that a suitcase was missing from the counter.

^-^

"I can' see how _this_ was necessary."

"Your other punishment would have hurt much more than just your pride," Nuriko stated.  "Besides we need you in the show tonight.  And they're enjoying it."

He pointed at Chichiri and Chiriko.  The men laughed, supporting each other's weight.  Chiriko's laughter erupted into a fit of hacks and Chichiri worriedly pushed him back towards Mitsukake's room.

"We need to have a little visit, don't we?"

^-^

As Sakura brushed her teeth, she heard a smart knock on the door and leisurely walked over to it, thinking Nuriko had somehow forgotten his key.

She opened the door, toothbrush still in her mouth, and was rather surprised when a strange woman jumped at her.

The door slammed shut and Sakura yelped as she hit the carpet.  The woman caught herself before she could crash into Sakura.

Sakura looked up, wide-eyed, at the woman as she jumped to her feet and pounded on the door.

"NURIKO!!  GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

_Genrou-san…_ Sakura realized.

He tried the door but found he couldn't pull it open.

"NURIKO!" he yelled again.

"Genrou-san?" Sakura asked quietly.

He spun around and glared at her.  "Yeah.  What about it?"

"I just wanted to know why you are dressed in drag."

It was true.  His hair was curled and put in pigtails; he wore blue-toned makeup and a rather unflattering pink dress with lace around the hem, wrists, and neckline.  Worse than all that was that he was wearing fake breasts.

He crossed his arms over his not voluptuous chest and she swore she could see a tinge of pink across his nose.

"I can' see how any of that is yer business," he huffed.

Sakura didn't have a comeback.  Somehow she never did have a comeback when it involved him.

_Damn him_, she thought.  _If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be late getting ready or sick._

She scowled at him momentarily, then got up and went into the bathroom.  She slammed the door behind her.

Tasuki heard some spitting noises and the sink running briefly.

Sakura walked out without looking at him.  She took a duffel bag from her bed and pulled a couple candy bars from it, jumping onto the bed in the process.

She threw a bar his way and turned on the television.

"He's going to need you for the concert, so there's no point in fighting at the door," she said.  "Best to just relax."  She looked over to him, still standing by the door.  "Don't you think?"

Tasuki looked away and crossed in front of the television.  He went over to the windows and pinched shut the curtains.

Sakura's gaze flickered to him at the sound.  She blushed and averted her eyes as he began undressing.

Sure, she had seen men naked before.  On accident, of course.  Walking into dressing rooms without knocking was a bad habit of hers when she was younger.  When she visited Tamahome's family as a toddler, she would bathe with him and his brother, Chuuei, and no one had thought anything of it.  She also helped Tamahome take care of his other younger brother, Shunkei.

So she really shouldn't be blushing at Tasuki stripping to only his boxers, right?

_It must be the crush resurfacing.  Why today?_ she thought.  _I need to find something unattractive about his personality, but…_

Her nose began to tingle and she wiggled it to try to relieve the oncoming sneeze.  She wiggled it more and more and sucked in some air.

But it came before she could stop.  Four sequential sneezes.

"Sounds like yer gettin' a cold," Tasuki said.

"Yeah, and I wonder whose fault that is," she snapped.  Her eyes widened and she hung her head.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, dun apologize," he said.  "It's my fault you and Chiriko are sick."

"I think Doukun-chan is worse off than me."

He chuckled.  "I really dun think so."

"I'm sorry about how I acted earlier, too.  It was wrong of me."

"Dun worry about it."

A silence fell between them.

_Oh, God.  This is uncomfortable_, Sakura thought.  _Is he uncomfortable?  Is it just me?  I have to look like I'm really engrossed in this show, so he won't see that I'm uncomfortable._

She settled on the bed trying to watch the screen intently.  But she kept stealing glances at Tasuki, sprawled on Nuriko's bed.

He turned to her, brows furrowed.  "Whatsa matter?"

_Dammit._  "Oh, um…"  _Think fast!_  "Your eye shadow is…blue and sparkly."

"Damn it."  He sat up on the bed.  "I'll go wash it off.  No fucking way in Hell am I gonna let Nuriko wash it off fer me."

"I HEARD THAT!" Nuriko called from the hall.

"Aw, shaddap!" Tasuki shot back.

Sakura could just see Nuriko on the other side of the door sticking his tongue out.

"AHH!" Tasuki cried.

Sakura ran into the bathroom.  "What is it?

Tasuki looked at her.  His face was still covered by the incandescent blue makeup save for patches of bright red where the makeup hadn't touched.

"It won't come off," he said pitifully.

"Ryuuen-san, what did you put on Genrou's face?"

"Lacquer," he said.

"WHAT?!" Tasuki cried.

"Just kidding, just kidding," he said.

"What was it, Ryuuen-san?"

"That blue cream stuff."

"Ryuuen-san!" she scolded.  "You know that stuff won't come out with soap and water.  What were you expecting him to do?"

"The scrubbing pads are in my suitcase, Sakki-chan."

Sakura moved across the room and dug through Nuriko's large suitcase.  Moments later she emerged with a pack of circular white pads.

"Why did you do this to him in the first place?"

"To punish him, of course."

"Punish him?  Why would he need to be punished?"  Sakura didn't sound nearly as surprised as she had hoped.

"Well, for several reasons.  Firstly, he's a dumbass."

"HEY!  Nuriko, I'm gonna git you fer that."  
            "I'd like to see you try, fang boy!"

"Now, I don't think he's a dumbass, per se," she said quietly.  "You are impetuous, Genrou-san."  She slowly wiped the pad down his face.  "You act according to your personality, not how others think you should.  That's a very admirable quality."  She took an extended amount of time pulling out another pad so Tasuki couldn't see her blush.

"Secondly," Nuriko continued.  "He's stupid."

"That's mostly the same as the last one, Ryuuen-san."

"Fine.  Then thirdly, to apologize to you."

"Apologize?  For what?"

"Sakura, don't be stupid," Nuriko said sternly.

She stopped removing Tasuki's makeup momentarily and hung her head.

"If anyone, you should apologize to Doukun-chan."

"He already did.  I must say, I was quite disappointed with your reaction to him.  Chiriko nearly died again, he was laughing so hard."

"I was only a _little_ too surprised to be attacked by an ugly woman, no offence, to be taken in with the hilarity of the situation," Sakura said.

"The fourth one is irrelevant yet."

"Fourth one?" Sakura asked, turning toward the door.

"Yeah.  What fourth one?" Tasuki demanded.  "I know the first three; ya kept repeatin' them over and over again on the way up 'ere.  What the Hell is this fourth one?"

"I said it was irrelevant as of yet."

She removed the last bit of blue makeup on Tasuki's face.

"All right," Sakura said, putting the pack of pads on the countertop.  "Nuriko, he's said it.  You can let us out now."

Tasuki looked at her, questioningly.

"I didn't hear it."

"Of course you didn't hear it.  He said it quietly, so he wouldn't be interrupted by you, telling him how to do it right."  She walked out of the bathroom.  "I've accepted his apology, so let us out."

"Are you sure he said it?"

"Of course he said it."

"Oi.  Am I not in this conversation?" Tasuki asked.  He was ignored.

"Fine.  You can come out."

They could hear Nuriko move off the door.  Tasuki opened the door.

"So you stripped for her.  Was that your apology?" Nuriko asked with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

Tasuki blushed faintly, but put his arm around her shoulders.

"Course it was," Tasuki said, grinning.  "What other apology could I give?"

Sakura put her forehead in her palm and shook her head, grinning as well.  It also did a great job of hiding her full-force blush.

^-^

Author's Note:  
Sorry, sorry, sorry!!  This update took so long.  It wasn't writing the chapter that took so long, but finding the time to write the chapter.  This chapter is for Joce, who had to spend Thanksgiving with her evil cousin, Ellen.  Joce—Use poison.  There's less mess to clean up afterwards.


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